zguy2112, 5 years agoGreat poster! I am a collector of original stone lithographs myself, not sure what year this poster dates and it is difficult to tell if it is a stone litho from the photograph but a common way to tell if a poster is a hand lithograph (Stone, aluminum, mylar, etc.) or an offset lithograph is to look at the print under magnification. Marks from a hand lithograph will show a random dot pattern created by the tooth of the surface drawn on. Inks may lay directly on top of others and it will have a very rich look.

Prints from an offset press will show a mechanical dot pattern from the color separations. Each color generates a separate dot pattern that when combined produce a very small circle or "rosette". The dot patterns look like the dot from the newspaper comics but smaller. You can easily see these dots under small magnification or sometimes with the naked eye. All the dots line up in neat little rows. If you can see these dots it is a sure sign of camera and commercial involvement. If the dots are random and appear to have some ink overlay, then it is most likely a hand drawn lithograph or stone lithograph.

Either way, this is a GREAT piece and appears to be scarce. You even have the show bill below that states the venue and performance date, these bills are usually lost if they are not glued to the actual poster themselves. If you plan to keep this poster and display it, you should have it professionally linen backed and placed in a UV protected frame. A good linen backer will actually improve the appearance of this poster by smoothing out the edges and creases while mounting it for preservation. The sun or UV rays, is one of the worst enemies for paper as you probably know. Take care of it and enjoy!

Tom8, 3 years agoHi, regarding the subject of the poster, I may be able to shine some light. Guss Hill was a producer/manager. I believe he produced musical vaudeville or variety performances in the USA. I know that in about May 1888 he put on a show called the Congress of Novelties at the Wigwam in San Francisco. Your poster seems to be too similar to be a coincidence. I'd say it is that production on tour or parts of it reproduced.